An international conference on "Collagen: Structure, Molecular Biology and Pathology" sponsored by the New York Academy of Sciences will be held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Bethesda, Maryland on April 3-5, 1989. The meeting was organized by Dr. Raul Fleischmajer Dr. Bjorn R. Olsen and Dr. Klaus Kuhn. Dr. Kuhn is well known in the field of collagen structure, Dr. Olsen has made numerous contributions in collagen molecular biology, while Dr. Fleischmajer has been working in regulation of fibril formation. There will be 38 formal presentations and about 60 posters covering many aspects of basic and clinically revelant research in the field of collagen. The following subjects will be covered in this conference: a) Structure of recently described new collagens including type VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI and XII. b) Structure of collagen genes and regulation of gene activation including fibrillar collagens (type I, II, III, V, XI) and non-fibrillar collagen (type IV). c) Assembly of fibrillar collagens and basement membranes as well as hybridization and interactions among genetically distinct collagens such as type I-V, type II-IX, type I-III. d) Regulation of collagen synthesis by growth factors such as TGF - beta, interferons. e) Expression of cell surface matrix receptors. f) Role of the extracellular matrix components such as laminin, merosin, brachionectin, and cytotactin in brain and nerve development. g) Molecular defects of genetic diseases including transgenic mice model for collagen defects and osteogenesis imperfecta. h) Regulation of the collagenase gene and mechanism of matrix degradation. A variety of subjects will be covered during the poster sections including structure, intermediate metabolism, molecular genetics and pathology of collagen. Each session will be chaired by an authority in the field, spontaneous discussions will be encourage and the proceedings of the meeting will be published in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.